Monday, August 14, 2006

See No Evil Part 719

Three builders who conned pensioners out of their life savings are beginning jail sentences totalling 12 years.

Alexander Allan, William McPhee and Andrew Cummings took nearly £70,000 from seven victims by pretending they needed roofing work carried out.

They inflated the cost of jobs and claimed more work was needed. They were convicted after a three-week trial.

The victims were aged between 75 and 84 and targeted in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire in 2003 and 2004.

Jane McCreath, 76, from Ayr, South Ayrshire, was told that she would be made homeless if she failed to pay.

Margaret Tennant, 84, from Troon, South Ayrshire, handed over £14,350.

But the work carried out by McPhee, 40, from Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, and Cummings, 25, from Ayr, was worth £1,500.

Ruth Johnstone, 84, from Ayr, who is registered blind and deaf was conned into signing a cheque for £600.

The gang altered the amount to steal £6,000 from her account.

They also called at 77-year-old Catherine Cooper's house in Dunure, South Ayrshire, and said her roof was leaking before taking £3,200 from her for work worth only £300.

I see. Three builders - from Coatbridge, Motherwell and Ayr - in a joint operation. Strange, really. Those three locations aren't terribly close. And there is one group of people who have a bit of previous when it comes to ripping off pensioners for building work. Anything else we need to know ?

And yet, the BBC do seem to be somewhat judgemental on the oddest cases:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4798079.stm

Noteably - "The family of Mrs Rondel, who was awaiting trial on drug charges at the time of her death, issued a statement describing her as full of life and energy."

Why the need to mention it at all, if it was not relevant to the crime? And she's the victim!

Then there's the police spokesman's almost jokey reference to "Clearly, the relationship between cats and pigeons got out of hand". Is it me, or that a bit 'Bird/cat lovers, eh (sigh of exasperation)?'

The tone of this report sits uneasily with the seriousness of the crime. And don't get me started on the paltry 8 year jail term!